KLM and Garuda to strengthen relationship

Summary

Garuda Indonesia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines plan to collaborate more closely. KLM President and CEO Peter Hartman and Garuda’s President and CEO Emirsyah Satar today signed two agreements to this end. The company leaders are enthusiastic about the idea of an intensified cooperation. “By signing these pacts, we are taking a significant step in broadening the strong relationship that these two companies have long enjoyed,” Mr Hartman said. Mr Satar sees these partnership agreements as a logical next step in recent developments. “KLM and Garuda can do a great deal to help each other,” he said.

The closer collaboration refers to code-sharing for flights between Singapore and Denpasar. KLM and Garuda also plan to cooperate more intensively in the maintenance of aircraft components.

By code-sharing with Garuda, KLM can offer its customers daily connections between Singapore and Denpasar. In turn, Garuda's passengers will gain access to greater frequency between these destinations. KLM now flies three times weekly from Amsterdam to Singapore and onward to Denpasar. From mid-January 2010 KLM’s frequency will increase to four flights a week. Garuda flies this route every day of the week.

The maintenance agreements will offer KLM the opportunity to contract out the maintenance of fan cowls to Garuda Maintenance Facilities AeroAsia, which services PT Garuda, the national airline.